"We
briefed the Russian Air Force commander on the changes we have made in
the S-200
system and he admired these capabilities," Esmayeeli told reporters
after a meeting with Bondarev in Tehran on Sunday.

"We
told him that the system was a long-range system completely made by Russia,
but we could add up to its capabilities to cover mid-altitude threats
by changing the structure and protocol of the S-200
system and using Sayyad-2 missiles and we also told him that this (new)
capability has proved successful on the scene of practical tests,",
Esmayeeli added.

Iran
announced in August that it has used the latest home-made missile production,
Sayyad (Hunter) 2, in its sophisticated S-200
anti-aircraft system.

Speaking to reporters in August, Esmayeeli
said that the country had used "Sayyad 2 missiles in its S-200 defense
systems", and pointed out that the restructuring of the system was
the result of the industrious efforts made by experts at the Iranian defense
industries and his base.

In
similar remarks in July 2011, Esmayeeli had announced that the country's
experts have been able to optimize the Russian-made S-200
anti-aircraft missile system so well that the Iranian version
of the system has stunned Russian experts.

Iran's
S-200 system is a very long range, medium-to-high
altitude surface-to-air missile (SAM) system designed to defend large
areas from bomber attack or other strategic aircrafts. Each battalion
has 6 single-rail missile launchers and fire control radar. It can be
linked to other, longer-range radar systems.

Each missile is launched by 4 solid-fueled
strap-on rocket boosters. Maximum range is between 200 and 350 km depending
on the model. The missile uses radio illumination mid-course correction
to fly towards the target with a terminal semi active radar homing phase.